This study was conducted to investigate the effects of the climatic seasons on physiological, morphological, and hormonal parameters in female goats of the Brazilian Azul genetic group. Thirty females were used in the rainy season and thirty in the dry season, all non-lactating and non-pregnant, aged between 1 and 2 years. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Analysis System (SAS) and the General Linear Models procedure. Air temperature, black globe temperature, and relative humidity were measured by an automated weather station. Respiratory rate (RR), heart rate (HR), and surface temperature (TS) showed significant differences between periods and seasons, whereas rectal temperature did not vary. Animals in the rainy season had longer hair compared to the dry season, with a significant difference (P = 0.0258). In the erythrogram, significant seasonal differences were observed for all variables analyzed: hematocrit (P = 0.0258), hemoglobin (P = 0.0365), red blood cell count (P = 0.0269), mean corpuscular volume (P = 0.0258), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (P = 0.0157).The animals had a lower respiratory rate and greater heat dissipation capacity during the dry season, allowing them to maintain rectal temperature. Morphological and hormonal (T3, T4, and cortisol) parameters change across the various climatic seasons.
Miranda et al. (Thu,) studied this question.